Gestational Diabetes - I'm in breakfast hell!

Waffle_On

I hope someone can help me!?!

I have recently been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, currently controlled by diet only. Until the diagnosis, cereal of various sorts has been my staple breakfast, with the occasional croissant.

Having experimented with healthier cereals I have established that they are all putting me over my target levels, even in tiny portions. Because of this I switched to having cooked breakfasts with varying combinations of egg, bacon, granary toast, sausage, mushrooms etc. I was managing with this, but finding it mildly unpleasant.

Unfortunately last weekend, I had a full cooked breakfast, and a little later was rather ill. This has really put me off every variation using those ingredients - understandably I think!

I am really struggling to find any alternatives that work for me. I like fruit and yoghurt, but they don't fill me up for very long at all.

I have a month to go and am currently dreading every morning. Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Islandmaid

Ahh Hun,

I had the same with my 3, and all I can advise is little and often.

My midwife (this is 20+ years ago) advised me to eat 6 small meals a day, so I would have for example.

Plain yogurt and fruit for breakfast 1,
then a small omelette mid morning,
a salad and ham sandwich on whole meal for lunch,
a bit of cheddar and a cracker mid afternoon,
Grilled fish and salad for dinner
Another bowl of yoghurt and fruit mid evening
And maybe a banana thrown in there somewhere

Obviously, ask your midwife for a proper diet plan and advise, but little and often got me though - good luck and congratulations

Plum444

Porridge with water and or almond milk and chopped fruit. Yoghurt has a lot of sugar too- unless its plain. I wouldn't touch anything processed- stick to fruit and vegetables, a plant based diet is the way forward.

worried_jim

Careful with the fruit- it's full of sugar. Hard boiled egg all the way!

mildredalien

How about porridge with some peanut butter mixed in and a little fruit? I'm not sure how much sugar you can take, you could try half a teaspoon of jam or honey and see what that does (it might well be less than some of the more sugary cereals). Or you could try the scots way and have it with butter and salt! Surprisingly yummy

Poached eggs on toast/english muffins, or an omelette with some veggies and a bit of cheese could work well.

HOWMUCH

Have you been given a BM meter by the midwife? How many weeks are you? Do you work?

You need to look on the boxes of cereal you have and check out the carbs a normal portion is approx 30g. I find weetabix are not too bad and you don't have to weigh no sugar because each teaspoon is 10g carb. Then is you are able to go for a walk after, this will help use up the carbs and lower your blood sugar level. I also have 2 poached eggs on 2 slices of seeded toast. Sausage check the carbs on the pack.

Waffle_On

thanks, there are a couple of ideas to work with there. Anything with eggs is off the menu at the moment, I have tried omelette and scrambled eggs the last couple of days and I found it really unpleasant.

Porridge is also out - I tried a tiny portion made with milk and a little artificial sweetener, but this put me way over my target.

I am tolerating fruit quite well, but I am usually starving within half an hour of eating it, so it doesn't really do much for me in terms of meals.

pigpen

eat what you like and ignore it.. you have a month left.. you wont have any lasting effects in a month even if by some miracle they have accurately diagnosed GD.. from the results I've seen bandied about they are totally inaccurate at diagnosing GD and tell most people they have it when they blood glucose readings are absolutely perfectly normal.

If you are doing as you're told.. just have soup or meat and salad or smoothies or a plate of raw veg or something that isnt usually classed as breakfast..

Waffle_On

Yes, I have a BM meter.

I had a growth scan a few days ago, and baby is above the 97th percentile, the consultants have told me a big baby is the primary concern for me in terms of controlling the GD. I am actually 35 weeks, but have an induction booked for 39 weeks. Baby gained 2lb in the last 4 weeks, 3 of which I've been monitoring and more or less within the readings they wanted throughout (apart from my breakfast cereal experiments!)

I have tried all the 'healthier' cereals I can think of - Weetabix is one of my favourites, but two put me over and it's hardly worth having one! I have also tried porridge, bran flakes and all bran in small portions. What I really want to do is pinch some of my sons weetos!

I have finished work now, but I still have to do the school run in the morning, so I don't have a lot of time on my hands to cook or go for a walk (school is too far to walk). I don't think I can face soup or salad at 8am, but maybe I'll have to be a bit more inventive!

[Deleted User]

Are you OK with potatoes? a very substantial breakfast that lasts you well until lunchtime is some cooked potatoes sliced and sprayed with oil spray and fried with a rasher of bacon cut into ribbons until the bacon is cooked and the potatoes are beginning to brown. It's an old wartime method of making a little bacon go a very long way and makes you feel 'full enough'.

pigpen

i had my dates moved forward by nearly 2 weeks and mine is still over the 97th centile!! I think it is a hippo!! lol

they are notoriously bad at estimating weights.. they almost doubled my son weight!!! they base guestimates on the tummy circumference and head circumference... hardly a good indicator of fat elsewhere on the body!

what is your reading on getting up?? before you eat?? if that is high (over 10 it should be under 5) it is likely not breakfast that is the issue!

My T1 son has weeto's for breakfast.. 100g (75g carbs) because its easier to work out insulin lol. the chocolate weetabix have the same carb content as tasteless cardboard ones. or toast.. 15-20g of carbs per slice.. add cheese,ham, bacon, eggs, mushrooms... DS usually has a bacon sandwich.. with or without cheese.. it's pretty quick to chuck bacon in microwave and bung in a sandwich.

The 'healthy' cereals just mean low fat or low sugar (simple carbs) rather than low complex carbs.. go box reading. a wonderful app we use (there is a free version) Carbs and Cals .. there is a book but the app is updated often.

Are you another they didnt bother giving a dietician referral to?? demand one if so.. midwives and consultants know nothing in my experience.. mechanics yes, actual experiences, nada nothing nowt!!